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A review by oz617
Holes by Louis Sachar
4.0
I think if I’d read this as a child it’d have become a favourite. As it is, I’m reading it aged 22 having seen it on a list of banned books. It’s quite fairytale-like, and (given the fairytales I was read growing up) the violence doesn’t seem out of place or inappropriate, so I’d imagine that ban’s because the antagonists are racists and/or policemen.
I can’t quite tell what I think of the inclusion of Madame Zeroni. She’s either a subversion of the “Gypsy curse” trope (having actually been Egyptian, and not having cursed anyone, they just didn’t follow her advice correctly), or just an example of it (what with the misconception that the Romani are actually Egyptians). I’d love to hear the opinion of a Romani person. Also, a couple of lines about Stanley’s weight haven’t aged brilliantly, but they make sense in context.
I can’t quite tell what I think of the inclusion of Madame Zeroni. She’s either a subversion of the “Gypsy curse” trope (having actually been Egyptian, and not having cursed anyone, they just didn’t follow her advice correctly), or just an example of it (what with the misconception that the Romani are actually Egyptians). I’d love to hear the opinion of a Romani person. Also, a couple of lines about Stanley’s weight haven’t aged brilliantly, but they make sense in context.